I Vow To You
by RadientWings
Summary: France, June 1944. War is raging all through Europe and Caroline does her best to make do. Of course, she never expected to be aiding a wounded British soldier. AU. Klaroline. Oneshot. Written for klaroline fanfic week.


**Another oneshot I wrote for klaroline fanfiction week, specifically day 3, historical. This is based off a prompt I got from the wonderful my-light-into-the-darkness on tumblr; follow her, she's great! Anyways, I didn't have too much time to research for this one so historical accuracy might be a bit iffy. Also, my French is not the best so please forgive any mistakes ;)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TVD, won't own TVD.**

I Vow To You

_France, June 1944_

Caroline walked quickly and quietly from the town's center; she'd stayed too late again with the others. But resistance plans didn't just magically happen in five minutes. Still, she knew if she was caught out now, it would lead to questions. _What are you doing out here at this late hour, girl? Why aren't you home with your rich family? Oh, sorry I meant your rich _mother_… daddy was a traitor wasn't he? _Really, it was the last thing she wanted. Luckily, unlike the damned German soldiers, this was her hometown. She was born here and had lived her all of her seventeen years. She knew how to get by without being seen.

She sped quickly down the empty alleyway, peeking around the corner of a building to look down the main street. This was the hard part, crossing this street, but it was the quickest way home. Looking down to the left, she saw two shadowed figures, in what looked to be a struggle. But then her eyes adjusted and she saw what it really was. She turned her gaze away sadly. The French woman pinned beneath one of the German soldiers was well known around town for her evening _activities_. Sometimes Caroline supposed she was one of the lucky ones; despite the loss of her father, her mother and her were still well off enough neither of them had had to turn to that act of desperation.

Some of her compatriots considered these acts to be treasonous; Caroline knew the horrible truth, though. These women, their families, they wouldn't be able to survive if they didn't do this. The blonde wished fervently that she could help them, _all_ of them… but it was impossible. But, this is why she did what she did, risked her very _life_, and helped the resistance where she could. It still wasn't much but it was something.

With one final flick of her eyes to the two at the end of the street, and seeing they were still very much _occupied_, she rushed across it to the small lane on the other side. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard no footsteps behind her and continued her way home, through the small forest separating her house from town. When she finally saw the telltale smoke coming through the trees, she smiled. Still, she didn't go inside just yet, instead opting to head quickly to the barn. She needed to check up on a few things for the resistance (she never kept any incriminating evidence in the actual house, she wasn't _that_ senseless).

Humming to herself, she moved to open the barn door, only to find it already unlocked. _Strange…_ Suddenly, the darkness around her seemed all encompassing. _Oh no. What if they found-? _Caroline swallowed harshly, but went inside anyways; she _had_ to know how much intel she'd given away. She walked cautiously over the hay-covered floor, moving to the small alcove at the back where she had everything hidden.

Only as she turned she suddenly felt an arm going around her waist, dragging her back into a strong chest, and another hand go over mouth.

"Mmm!" Came Caroline's muffled protest as she struggled against her captor's grip, panicking. _Shit! This is not good, this is _not_ good. _With all her strength she drove her elbow back into his stomach, satisfied when she heard his pained groan, but he still didn't let her go.

"Sh, sh, I promise I won't hurt you." He whispered in her ear as he finally got his grip of her. Caroline, almost against her will, felt some of the fight go out of her. _English, he's English. Not German. _"_S'il vous plait._" He then pleaded with her in surprisingly good French. This is what finally broke her determination to fight and she stopped struggling completely, relaxing slightly in his arms; she felt the movement of his chest as his breathing calmed along hers. _He's probably hiding from the Germans… But how did he even get here-?_

_Of course. The invasion. _The resistance had been talking about it for months, and it looked like it finally happened.

As these thoughts swirled through Caroline's mind, she felt the man move his hand from her mouth and silently place it on her shoulder, putting his trust and safety in her. She kept quiet and, after a moment, the man moved from behind her and quietly stepped in front of her, holding his hands out in a universally placating gesture.

Through the darkness, she could make out his dirtied uniform, the pack he wore on his back and the weapons he had slung here and there. Her gaze quickly travelled to his face, noting the absence of a helmet and what looked like a cut on his forehead. Finally, her eyes settled on his and she was shocked at the utter blueness of them, half hidden under his unruly curls.

She opened her mouth to speak only to have him quickly move his finger to his mouth, signaling to her to keep quiet. She nodded, and he held a hand up, gesturing her to stay where she was. He then quietly, almost _gracefully_, moved across the floor to the barn door, looking cautiously outside for others, for enemies she assumed. Seeing none, he closed the door carefully behind him and went back to where Caroline stood.

He breathed a sigh of relief, before half-smiling at her. "Thank you." He said sincerely.

Caroline smiled a little in return, her eyes still wide as she started at the stranger. "You are welcome." She said in return.

"You speak English." He looked shocked, and it caused her smile to widen even further. Caroline had always had an insatiable curiosity as a child and her father had wanted her to cultivate that, hiring tutors to teach her all sorts of subjects she couldn't learn in the local school. But she'd always had a fondness for the languages.

He made to move closer only to stumble slightly. Immediately, Caroline put her arms around his waist, steadying his taller form against her own, his own arm wrapping around her shoulders automatically. She felt something wet against hand and quickly lifted it, sickened to the see red liquid covering her fingers.

She lifted her gaze up to his. "You are bleeding!"

"Seems so." He seemed stunned, as if it just set in that he was injured. _He must've been running on adrenaline up to this point. _Quickly she moved them so she could lean him against the wall of the barn. He groaned slightly at the jostling movement but complied. She let got of his waist only to reach for his wound. Immediately, however, his hand came down over her wrist, looking at her suspiciously. She shifted slightly so she could squeeze his fingers with hers, shocked at her own boldness. The other hand went into the same placating gesture he had used on her.

"Let me see. It is alright, I know what I am doing." She said, struggling slightly over the foreign words. But she wasn't lying. Her father had been a doctor, and a damn good one, and when the war broke out, he'd taught everything he could to his only daughter before his death at the hands of the Germans.

She let her gaze settle on the man in front of her, shaking her thoughts from the past.

Finally, he nodded and let go her hand, but not before giving her fingers a returning squeeze. She quickly reached for the bloodied patch of this jacket, peering closer to the mottled skin underneath. _Looks like a big piece of shrapnel… _She heard him hiss as her fingers gently prodded the piece of metal. _It's deep… can't remove it here… could bleed out._

She straightened and met his eyes again, this time grimly.

"That bad, love?" He asked, obviously trying to seem casual and unaffected about the whole situation but failing utterly.

Caroline shook her head. "I can help you, but you _must_ stay quiet, do you understand?" She gestured to the door. "We are going to walk across the field to the house over there, yes?"

Breathing shallowly, he nodded his consent, realizing he wouldn't get anywhere without assistance in this state. She moved forward and once again placed her arms around his waist, shrugging his arm over her shoulders. She then quickly handed him the cloth she'd grabbed from one of the shelves of the barn, telling him to keep it close to his injury. He did so without complaint and Caroline started their trek, trying to be as quick as possible. It became harder and harder as his steps began to slow, obviously sluggish from the blood loss.

Caroline looked around the wooded area of the outside warily, praying that none of the town's soldiers would be patrolling these parts tonight. His weight bared down her as she tried to keep going, his feet almost dragging now. She paused for a moment, out of breath. She shifted her gaze to his face for a moment, the moonlight allowing her to see it better now. She noted the exhaustion and pain in his expression, and his unexpected youth. _He can't be that much older than me. _

Snapping herself out of it, she adjusted her grip on him.

"Please, you are too heavy for me to carry, you must help." She pleaded with him quietly. _I'll never forgive myself if I let anything more happen to him. _Her words seem to rejuvenate him, however, and she felt him shift his weight slightly off of her, his steps marginally more steady.

When they were finally through the front door of her home, Caroline nearly collapsed in relief.

"_Maman_!" She shouted, knowing she'd need help.

She heard the sound of running. "Caroline?" Coming around the corner, Liz looked to her daughter and gasped. "_Mon Dieu!_" She exclaimed as she saw the man she had with her, the blood soaked towel at his side.

"We _have_ to help him." The younger woman said quickly, changing back to English, knowing she needed to keep him engaged and _awake_. _If he falls unconscious now, I'm not sure he will get up again._

"Yes, yes, let's bring him to the cellar. Quickly now." Her mother went to the other side of the injured man, helping her to get him to the cellar door in the kitchen, hidden behind some shelves. They'd used it before to hide resistance members or people on the run. This time they'd be hiding a British soldier, at least for a little while.

When they finally made it down the narrow steps, her mother immediately moved to clear the wooden table at the end of the dank room. Together they hoisted him on it, telling him to lie down after he removed his pack. Caroline instantly pulled the towel away from his side, cursing under her breath as she saw the wound in better light. _This could end very badly. _

_The shrapnel is deep… We are going to need to cauterize it after we remove it._

Knowing she had no time to spare, she commanded her mother to go upstairs and get the necessary materials in rapid fire French. In other circumstances, her mother might've been angry at her tone, but she knew the gravity of the situation… and she knew of her daughter's capability as a healer.

As soon as she disappeared up the stairs, Caroline turned back to the soldier, seeing his slightly panicked expression.

_Calm, need to keep him calm_.

Taking a deep breath, she approached him, making a show of looking over the cut on his forehead she'd noticed earlier; she felt his eyes focusing on her through their haze.

"You never told me your name." She said, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

"Klaus." He ground out. "My name is Klaus."

_Klaus. _She smiled down at him, allowing one of her hands to wander to his hair, pushing her fingers gently through his curls. "Well, Klaus, we must get your jacket off, and your shirt if possible." She said, her tone what she hoped to be soothing. She moved her arm around his back and began to help him into a sitting position.

She saw his half-smirk from the corner of her eye. "I knew you wanted to get me naked." He said teasingly, though its effect was somewhat lessened by the groan of pain he let out.

"Or perhaps I want to steal your jacket." She played along, trying to keep him distracted. They made quick work (well as quick as was possible) of his jacket and shirt, Caroline using them to pillow his head against the table. Her eyes roved over his bare chest for a brief moment as he lay back down, shocked to notice an expanse of old scars over his muscular frame. She decided it best to ignore it and stay focused on the task at hand.

She moved her gaze to his, oddly unsurprised to find he already had his eyes on her. "Klaus, I need you to keep as still; my mother and I are not strong enough to hold you down. And please you must make as little noise as possible. I will not lie, this will hurt but it is _necessary_." She spoke softly to him, leaning over him and trying her best to seem collected when in truth she was panicking inside.

Klaus, however, seemed to see right through her, and moved his hand briefly over hers. "Don't worry, I'm not unaccustomed to pain." He said, a bit brokenly as he tried to speak around the pain he was already. Caroline could have laughed; here he was injured and bleeding and yet he was attempting to comfort _her_.

She heard her mother return to them and glanced at her briefly. Liz nodded and Caroline quickly untied the blue scarf she always kept around her hair, she rolled it up and placed it in Klaus' hand. "Alright, bite on this." He placed it quickly between his teeth. The blonde swallowed harshly, moving her hand to the piece of shrapnel stuck in his abdomen. "Ready?" She asked. He nodded slightly, his eyes completely focused on her. "I am so sorry for this." She muttered under her breath.

And then, not giving herself another moment to doubt what she was about to do, she pulled out the shrapnel with a sharp tug. As soon as it was out, the wound started gushing blood. "Now!" Caroline shouted to her mother, who instantly handed over the kitchen knife she had been holding by the fire, the metal heated to the point it was glowing red. Holding it steady she quickly _pressed_ it into Klaus' skin, causing him to jerk in pain, as the wound was burned shut. Despite his best efforts, he let out an agonized cry and Caroline felt the spring of tears into her eyes as her chest clenched uncomfortably. She _hated_ to be the one to cause such _pain_.

"We are almost done, Klaus, almost done." She said for her benefit as much as his as she bore through it, trying to ignore the sickening scent of burnt flesh. She focused instead on the lessons her father had given her so long ago, wanting to be sure she was doing this correctly. Finally, _finally_ she was done. She threw the knife into the bucket of water by her feet, the water sizzling as it hit.

"Caroline, I'm going to check upstairs." Liz moved around her and she nodded. _The last thing we need now is a patrol coming by. _As soon as her mother was gone once again, the room collapsed into silence. Caroline began to bandage Klaus up, having him sit up and slipping under his arm in order to support him as she wrapped the long white dressing around his abdomen. Klaus still kept his eyes on her and she nearly blushed under their heated gaze. _First time around a shirtless man, and it's in my cellar… Of course. _In other circumstances, she would have scoffed at the irony.

"Well done." His voice was low in her ear and Caroline turned her face up to meet his eyes. She smiled at the sincerity and what seemed like _pride_ in his gaze.

This time she really did blush as she ducked her head. "You as well."

"Me? I did nothing but lie here." He seemed truly perplexed.

The blonde shook her head. "Perhaps… but you have come here to give me my country back, to win this damned war. You come to fight the battles my people and I cannot on our own. I would say this is a lot, or it _will_ be." The words simply fell out of her, the truth in them undeniable.

"Well, regardless, thank you… _Caroline_." She whipped her head up to him, surprised that he managed to pick up her name in all the commotion. He was smirking down at her, mirth playing in his eyes.

She shook her head ruefully, laughing lightly. "You are very welcome." She returned, finishing with his bandage. She moved away from him, quietly taking a towel and trying to wipe her hands clean. _So much blood… I will likely see more before this war is over._ She turned back to Klaus when she heard a suspicious clatter, finding him slipping his shirt back over his head and standing, intent on his jacket and pack. _And weapons…_ "Wait, where do you think you are going?" She quickly blocked him from his stuff.

He raised a brow at her, a hand holding his side but trying to seem unaffected by his condition. _Which he _clearly_ is not. _"I can't stay here; I'll be putting you and your mother in danger every second you hide me." He said to her determinedly.

"You lost a lot of blood, Klaus, you are not fit to walk let alone fight. You need _rest_." She replied, trying to be firm, though she knew there was truth in both of their words.

He shook his head, steeling his gaze dangerously… but Caroline could see the slight sway in him, the unsteadiness of his feet. "I can't afford that." Klaus almost growled, stepping closer to her. She noticed the difference in height for the first time, the strong, broad expanse of his shoulders.

Still, the blonde's gaze narrowed. "Well you cannot leave; not now, there will be troops running through the town at any moment, if they catch you out there… it will not end well."

"How do you know tha-" He seemed confused for a moment before revelation entered his blue eyes. "You're resistance. Damn, I don't know how I didn't see it before." He sat heavily back on the table, resting his elbows on his knees.

Caroline cracked a smile, moving to sit by his side. "Well if you saw it so quickly I would not be very good, now would I?" She asked, with humor.

He let out a small chuckle, though it was tempered by a wince. "I suppose I can't argue against that."

Cautiously, she placed a gentle hand on his knee, turning to look at him fully. "I know you want to leave, but at least stay a few hours, get some rest and food in your stomach. You will need your strength." He still seemed to doubt her, so Caroline decided to use the same technique he had used on her earlier. "_Please_, Klaus." She pleaded.

There was a long moment of silence between them as Klaus' gaze searched hers, looking for signs of any lie. Ultimately, he nodded, and took her hand between his, squeezing it gently in reassurance.

"Very well."

Caroline smiled.

* * *

They spent the next few hours in quiet conversation, her mother only stopping in once to give them some bread and cheese, along with drinking water. It wasn't much, but it soothed both of their stomachs. Klaus didn't end up getting too much rest, too caught up in their conversation. They spoke of all sorts of things, from Klaus' family and siblings, to how he ended up volunteering for the army. Caroline also told him of her own experiences, and when she'd teared up over the explanation of her father's death, how he'd been resistance and had been caught, shot in the middle of the street, Klaus had placed a comforting arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his uninjured side.

Caroline was well aware that their behavior towards each other was probably less than proper, but with all that had happened so far in her short life, and the very real possibility that it could end someday soon, she simply didn't care. Besides, there was something in her gut that told her she could trust Klaus… that he was a _good_ man.

Finally, when they exhausted themselves, the collapsed into silence, simply content to be in each other's presence. Eventually though, Caroline knew he had to go. So she led him quietly up the stairs and peered out the window. Noting the relative lightness of the sky outside, she turned back to Klaus, who was staring at her quietly, simply taking her in. He looked so much the soldier now, decked out in his uniform and his gear, the weapons he had strapped on making him look dangerous and not at all like the sarcastic but gentle man she had come to know in the past few hours.

She shuffled her feet slightly. "It will be dawn soon… You know where you need to go?" She knew he did, having helped him find his way on his map earlier but felt the need to double-check regardless. _And I don't want him to leave yet._

"Yes, thank you." He nodded.

She swallowed harshly as her throat clogged, her eyes prickling slightly. Quietly, she handed him a small bundle of bread and cheese, wrapped in cloth. "Here take this with you. And don't forget to change that bandage. And-"

"_Caroline_." He interrupted her firmly, putting one finger under her chin to force her to meet his burning blue gaze. "I'll be fine. You have done _more_ than enough." He assured her, giving a small, heartbreaking smile. Seeing his words seemed to get through, he cleared his throat and stepped back, reaching into his pocket. "Before I forget, here." He placed the blue scarf she'd given him earlier in her open hands.

She paused before she shook her head decisively. "_Non_, keep it." After a considering moment, he held out his hand to take it back, surprised when she instead tied it deftly around his out held wrist, hiding the light blue material under the sleeve of his jacket. Patting it once, she finally returned his smile, letting her fingers trail away from him. "For luck." She said, her voice wavering slightly.

He looked thoughtful, before he turned his eyes back to her, more intense than ever. They were magnetic, and Caroline found that she couldn't look away, even if she wanted to. "If I come back through here… I'll return it to you." He said, his deep voice filled with genuine promise.

"I would like that." Her response was just as honest as his. "Now you _must_ go."

"_Merci_, Caroline." He smiled once more and turned, leaving, keeping close to the shadows.

As he was leaving, though, that horrible clenching that had been in her chest earlier returned tenfold and she found herself reaching out for him again, her hand grabbing the sleeve of his jacket where she knew her scarf was hiding under.

He looked at her questioningly, though there was something else, darker and more thrilling, in his gaze that made shivers run up her spine.

"There is something else I want to give you as well."

And then she darted forward, ignored all of her own protests and doubts, and kissed him. And after barely a second's hesitation, he kissed back.

It wasn't her first kiss by far, but it was the first kiss where all other thoughts, all her worries and fears seemed to just… fade away. And, despite it all, she began to _hope_. To hope for something better. To hope for a future. She clung desperately to him, her arms tight around his neck. She knew she was being reckless, that she was risking exposure kissing him here. But, for once in her life, she simply didn't care.

And neither did he, it seemed. He pulled her tightly to him, one arm strong around her waist, a hand threaded through her blonde curls.

But, all too soon, they parted.

Breathing heavily, Caroline pulled completely out of his arms, pained by the distance between them. She carefully smoothed down her dress, her eyes on the ground. "Please. Be careful. I want my scarf back." She struggled through the words, her vision blurring.

For a moment she thought the silence she was answered with meant Klaus had already left, never to return. But then she felt a hand on her neck and the briefest brush of lips on her forehead. "Of course." His fingers left her skin and after another moment, Caroline finally lifted her gaze up, only to see him already walking down the road.

She didn't shout to him though, simply watching until he was gone. But it didn't feel like a goodbye, like the end of something. In fact quite the opposite; it felt like the _start_.

When she finally made it to bed that night, she slept well for the first time in years and her dreams were filled with flashes of magnetic blue.

_Maybe_, she thought, _just maybe._

FIN

**I actually had more ideas for this but I ran out of time so I had to stop it there D: Also, I'm not by any means a medical expert so please forgive any mistakes. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


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